Problems
by GRACE5
Summary: Rikki reappears in D/L's life.


Lindsay smiled as she balanced the grocery bag against the door and her body as she reached her the keys to her apartment. She could hear voices on the other side of the door, and just figured it was Danny talking to the baby. Finally getting the door open, she realized it was not the baby Danny was talking to but Rikki.

"Hey." Danny said as he looked up from the couch next to Rikki, with the baby in his arms.

"Hi." Lindsay said, she could barely hear him or herself over how loud her heart was beating, from anger or fear, she didn't know. She glanced down and the small space that separated Danny and Rikki and headed quickly into the kitchen to put the bag down. "I gotta go."

"Lindsay, wait." Danny said as he stood up from the couch to follow her, but she had already closed the door. He opened it, careful of the baby and saw her running down the hallway, away from him.

"I'm sorry Danny." Rikki said as she stood from the couch and collected her things. "I didn't mean to come between you and your wife."

"S'okay." Danny mumbled, still looking down the hallway for Lindsay.

"I'm gonna go." Rikki said as she moved past Danny down the hallway.

"Congratulations on your marriage and son." Rikki said as she glanced at the baby one more time before looking back up at Danny and headed down the hallway.

"Thanks." Danny mumbled as the baby started to fuss, causing him to look down at the bundle in his arms, giving him a gentle smile, he head back into the apartment. "Hungry?"

Danny smiled as his son smiled back up at him, his big brown eyes shining. He bent and placed a gentle kiss to the baby's forehead, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"I'm sorry." Danny mumbled as he watched his son nurse his bottle happily. "I thought we were over this." He said to no one as he burped the baby.

He had called her cell phone over a hundred times, and she hadn't turned it off, just refused to answer his calls, or return his messages that pleaded with her to at least come home and talk to him.

He finally caved and after checking on his son, he finally decided to go to bed, he had work tomorrow, but so did she. When he heard the front door click shut, he jumped out of bed to greet her.

"Hey." Danny said, scaring her. "Sorry."

"You should be asleep." Was all she said, not looking at him as she headed into the kitchen.

"So should you." Danny retorted as he leaned against the doorframe and watched her as she poured her self a glass of orange juice, noticing how her hand shook.

"Hm." Was all she said as she drank her juice.

"I thought we were over this." He said as she set her glass down and he grabbed her gently and turned her towards him.

"So did I." she said and tried to get past him but he wouldn't let her. "Let go." She hissed.

"No." he said as he boxed her in against the counter. "I thought you trusted me."

"So did I." Lindsay said as she continued to look at his chest.

"You don't trust me?" Danny asked, his voice breaking.

"Not with her." Lindsay said as she sniffled, trying to stop her own tears.

"We moved past this."

"We didn't!" Lindsay barked. "We ignored it."

"So, I didn't do anything, she was in town, heard I had a baby, she wanted to see him." Danny explained. "That's it."

"Okay." Lindsay said and shrugged her shoulders.

"You don't believe me." Danny stated, his voice soft and broken.

"No." Lindsay said honestly and looked at him for the first time. "I don't."

"You honestly think I would sleep with another woman, while the baby was here?" Danny barked, his voice now angry.

"The baby sleeps all the time!" she growled.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?" Danny asked. "How can we have a relationship with no trust?"

"We can't." Lindsay said simply and shrugging her shoulders.

"What are you saying?" Danny asked confused. "You're ending us, because she came over to see our baby? I didn't touch her at all, no handshake or hug, or anything! You think I'd do that again, after what happened last time?"

"I don't know, that's the problem!" Lindsay said and they both heard as the baby started to cry. Lindsay looked up at him and turned to head towards the nursery. "Hey bub." She cooed as she scooped the little boy into her arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She said as she brought him to the rocking chair to rock him back to sleep.

"Lindsay." Danny started as he walked into the nursery and watched her as she rocked the baby boy back to sleep, gently whispering comforting words in his ear.

"Don't." Lindsay said softly and over her shoulder at him. "Not right now."

"Okay." Danny said as he kneeled next to the rocking chair and softly kissed his son's forehead and watched as his eyes fluttered open to look at him, then close again sleepily.

They sat there for a while before Lindsay stood and placed the infant back in his crib. Danny remained in his position on the floor and watched her move gracefully around the nursery. She gave him a quick glance and exited the room, heading for their bedroom.

"Linds." He said as he watched her take off her jeans and slip into a worn pair of sweatpants.

"What?" she asked softly as she removed her top and threw on his old NYU shirt.

"Can we talk please?" he begged as he sat on the bed and looked up at her. "No yelling or screaming."

"Okay." She said exhausted as she sat next to him.

The room was quiet as they thought of the right words, their breathing and the baby's through the monitor was the only sound through out the room.

"I love you, Lindsay." He said as he traced the scars on his left hand idly.

"I love you too Danny." She mumbled as she watched his fingers. "But love isn't enough."

"I know." He confirmed and turned to her, gently wiping a tear from her cheek. "We have so much more than love, Linds."

"We have a history, we're each others best friend, I trust you, with everything, from my dry cleaning to my life." He whispered as he moved closer to her. "So why don't you trust me?"

"Because you broke it." She answered simply. "And we chose to just forget about it, and moved on, but I never knew why, why you broke us."

"I'm sorry, Lindsay." He said and continued to just gaze at her. "Do you want to know why?"

"Why you're sorry?" she asked. "I'm hoping you're sorry for sleeping with her."

"I am." He said forcefully. "I meant do you want to know why I slept with her, so we can move past this and continue forward, as a family?"

"Yeah." She said hesitantly not sure if she would be able to handle his reasons.

"Because she made me feel nothing, and that's what I needed, to feel nothing." Danny said and reached for Lindsay's hand.

"I could've done that, I could've been that person." Lindsay said, her voice shaky.

"No, you couldn't of, 'cause when I'm with you," he paused and brought his finger to her chin to lift her eyes to his. "I feel everything, my senses are on overload, my whole body tingles."

"What happens next time, Danny?" Lindsay cried as she tried to quickly wipe away her tears.

"There won't be a next time." He said frustrated.

"You don't know that." She barked back.

"There won't. Yeah, something bad might happen, but I know not to push you away this time, babe." He said softly. "You're stuck with me Lindsay Messer, you can fight all you want, but I'm not going anywhere."

"Fine." She huffed, causing him to smirk. She moved to stand but he pulled her back down and laid her on her back and climbed over her.

"I mean it." He said and gently pecked her lips. "I love you."

"I know." She said and moved her hands to play with his hair. "Show me." She said and attacked his lips.

"Linds, you just had a baby." Danny argued as he pulled away.

"Four months ago." Lindsay laughed and kissed his nose.

"Tell me you believe me." Danny said, his fiery gaze trained on her. "That it was a mistake, that'll I won't leave you."

"I believe you." She smiled and he gently leaned in for a kiss.


End file.
